Hidden Depths
by redgrass-and-silvertrees
Summary: Usually it was Phantom who was the hero, the one people had to thank for their lives. But when one day it is young Danny Fenton, not Phantom, who saves the day the people in his life react.
1. Maddie

**I do not own _Danny Phantom_. Fear me. **

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My son is a hero. Though Maddie Fenton is a bit ashamed to admit it, she never thought she'd ever say those words. She loved her baby boy dearly, even for all the trouble he's gotten into lately. But he seemed so skittish, fearfully running off whenever there were ghosts about. She'd always known that Danny had a good heart; better than most if she heard right about the vicious bullies at Danny's school but to think that he'd… She shook her head in awed disbelief as she continued to watch the news coverage of this afternoon's tragedy or what should have been a tragedy had Danny not intervened.

A fire had broken out in the small nursery school, just a few blocks from where Danny and his friends had been walking home from school. Ghosts weren't to blame this time around, just an old, outdated electrical system and faulty wiring. The collapse of the old bricks made an easy escape all but impossible and onlookers had frantically tried to pull away the debris in hopes of saving a few of the screaming kids. It seemed impossible until 15 year old Danny Fenton had rushed in, climbed up the burning rubble with near super human speed and jumped into the second floor window where the fires were already blazing. Just watching the replay of the event caused her heart to squeeze in fear for her youngest child.

But for all that his reckless escapade had scared her, there's no doubt that Danny had saved the day. He'd made his way through then fires, locating the small class holding eight terrified young children and two teachers. Somehow he'd managed to direct them to another exit, one no one else had seen, to get them all out just as the fire trucks had arrived on the scene. Just a few minutes later, the derelict building which had been in the process of renovation, collapsed with no one inside. And all because of her son.

The stairs squeaked above her and Maddie looked up to see the object of her thoughts staring down at her with genuine confusion. He was toying anxiously with the bandages for the burns he'd received for his heroic efforts, and for some odd reason, had insisted he didn't need. She pressed the mute button on the television giving Danny her full attention.

"Why are you even watching that Mom? I can't believe they're still playing it. That should be old news by now." Maddie tittered and patted the seat next to her, watching as Danny trotted down the stairs like always, looking very much the boy she knew and loved but different somehow. Or perhaps she was just seeing the real him for the first time. He flopped on the couch beside her, seeming to hesitate for a moment before allowing himself to relax into his mother's embrace. He felt unnaturally cold beside her but he didn't appear bothered by it. She made a mental note to get him an extra blanket for his bed. Maddie hummed, running her fingers through his thick black hair, so much like his father's though she'll never tell her mortified son, and enjoying this rare moment of peace between them.

"Well of course they're still talking about it sweetie, you saved 10 people today, you're a hero." Danny blushed and shook his head in embarrassment causing her to ruffle his hair enjoying his squeak of protest. "This town needs a good, decent hero, not fake ones like that Phantom character." Danny tensed up next to her and Maddie only sighed continuing to stroke his hair until he relaxed again. God knows why but Phantom was a sore spot for both him and Jazz. One of these days she was going to figure out why but today was not that day.

"You really had us worried you know," she spoke quietly watching the noiseless replay of the events. "When your dad and I got the call from the paramedics that you'd been caught up in the fire, I well, I thought maybe…" Danny nuzzled in her shoulder looking up at her with his beautiful blue eyes.

"Mom come on, everything turned out all right. Besides, it'll take more than that to do me in, I'm Jack Fenton's son after all." Danny started, dropping into a not inaccurate impression of his father causing Maddie to chuckle warmly.

"I just don't know what you were thinking," Maddie said watching again Danny's impossible movements to get inside the building was shown again on the television. "You're 15 years old sweetie, it's not your job to put yourself at risk like that." Danny looked away for a moment, an air of solemnity falling over him before he turned to her with a clear, steadfast gaze.

"It may not be my job but it was my responsibility. I know that things have been a bit weird around here, and I'm sorry for that, I'm just trying to get my life under control and it's not always easy you know? But when I saw the flames, and heard those screams, I knew that there was no way I could walk away and just pretend it was someone else's problem. That's what responsibility means to me, doing the right thing even though it's hard and can hurt you, because in the end you know it's worth it." Maddie's hand stilled in her son's hair as she wondered just when Danny, cute, lazy Danny, had grown up and so well too. The sound of the door slamming open prevented her from telling Danny just how proud she was of the brave young man he had become.

"Fenton family assemble! I have four cartons of our little hero's favorite Chinese and it certainly won't eat itself." The somberness on Danny's face melted into joy at the mention of the food Jack and Jasmine were now carrying in. Sparing his mother a quick glance, Danny sprung out of his seat appearing to have no mind for his burns and ran after his father and sister. Maddie sat on the couch a little while longer, watching yet again the image of her son stumbling from the back of the building, three young children held in his grasp, with that same stubborn set to his face. She smiled reaching over to turn off the TV before going to join her family reminding her boys not to eat themselves to sickness.

Because Maddie Fenton acknowledged that she could be single-minded, that her range of focus tended to be a bit narrow, and that maybe she had mistaken Danny's intentions from the start. She'd thought since she'd got that terrible phone call yesterday afternoon that Danny's sudden bout of heroism had been a recent development. But now as she watches Danny choke on his food due to Jack's enthusiastic back pats or Jazz's face glow with pride as she watches her brother that maybe Danny has always had the makings of greatness inside of him and she's only just seeing it.

Maddie smiled as she took her place at the table and watched her perfect little family, happy that they were all safe. She is content knowing that somehow, despite all the mistakes she and Jack had made, they'd done a good job raising both of their kids. She couldn't wait to see what else they could do, between Jazz's stunning brilliance and Danny's unwavering courage, Maddie Fenton knew her children could change the world.

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Hey guys, got another little story waiting for your approval. It's going to be a multi-chapter story surrounding the people in Danny's life reacting to heroism from Danny Fenton. I don't think he gets enough attention, yes I understand secret identities and all but both ghost and boy are the same person and I can't believe all that kindness and bravery wouldn't leak into Fenton's life as well. Updates will be a bit irregular but hopefully not too long between chapters. First time in a while I'm posting a story that's not completely written yet, almost there, but not quite. Let me know what you think!


	2. Valerie

**I don't own the ghost with the most.**

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This is all too weird Valerie Grey thought as she listened to the chatter around her. Still slightly awestruck she moved through the halls hearing strangers talk of Danny's amazing exploits yesterday afternoon. She actually didn't hear that one of her only friends had risked his life to save a bunch of kids he didn't even know until late last night when she got back from her patrol. Daddy had been up and waiting for her as always but instead of yelling at her for her hunting, he invited her over the couch to watch the news where Valerie's whole world had flipped upside down. Only her father physically restraining her had stopped her from speeding over to FentonWorks to make sure that the sweetest boy she knew was really okay. She settled for a text and Danny had responded right away, despite the fact that she'd sent the text at 2:15 in the morning and how was he still awake, to tell her that he was alright and would be at school the next day. Valerie still didn't sleep much that night just thinking about how close it could have been.

She supposed it made a weird sort of sense. His parents were pretty much in charge of handling the local ghost problems, sort of. Valerie had a serious respect for Mrs. Fenton who was the only human in the town Val thought could give her a run for her money in terms of hand to hand combat. Even Jazz Fenton, the brilliant bookworm, could be out seen riding on patrol with her folks every now and again with an ectogun strapped to her hip. So Danny had picked up some techniques from his mom, a bit of gusto from his dad and of course that impossibly kind heart was all his own.

Getting ready for school that morning had been incredibly awkward. She could feel her dad's gaze on her as she prepared her breakfast, probably trying to guess what she was thinking. Since her mother had died a few years before, she'd taken to confiding in her dad about everything, including her not so subtle crush on the ghost hunters' son. Daddy hadn't liked it at first, thinking it was some extension of her own after school activities but he'd liked it even less when she'd proclaimed that they'd broken up because it would put Danny in too much danger. She'd done it at the time because she didn't think Danny could handle the stresses of her life but now it appeared that Danny could take care of himself.

And maybe that's why she was shuffling quietly through the hallways of Casper hoping that she could run into Danny and assure herself once again that he was alright, but also hoping to avoid such a confrontation. Because the entire reason Valerie had turned him down had ended up to be nothing but a fantasy. But come on? How was she supposed to know that weak Danny Fenton, who barely passed the Presidential Fitness Test and pulled a Houdini any time ghosts were so much as mentioned, could move like _that_?

She heard the snickerings of a couple of cheerleaders as she passed; she knew they were giggling over Valerie's supposed poor judgment. Had things been different, she could have proudly walked into school, arm in arm with the town hero. But it wasn't like that; it had never been like that. She'd liked Danny even when he was a wimp and she still liked him even though he was apparently part spider or something. But of course now it was much too late.

She and Danny were still friends; they still talked, though not as often as she would like, and hung out whenever her crazy schedule would allow. But she knew that her one and only chance of getting him in that way had passed her by. Val had noticed the subtle glances he would give Manson and the whole school knew that they were about three minutes from becoming an item. And knowing the goth girl's blatant crush on Danny, Val knew that she wouldn't let him go once she got him. Not that he deserved any less and he certainly didn't deserve a girl who broke up with him for seemingly no reason at all.

For just a moment, Valerie allowed herself to imagine what could have been. She thought about telling Danny all about her side job, of her hatred of ghosts and of her goals to protect the town from them, especially that creep Danny Phantom. She envisioned Danny smiling at her, accepting her odd life for what it was. She imagined them discussing ghost hunting strategies together in-between periods. The two of them hanging out at his house, cuddling on the couch as they went through the Fenton arsenal. Late at night on patrol, her up in the skies while Danny scanned from the streets on his moped all the while whispering sweet nothings into her earpiece. The two of them finally bringing down that obnoxious ghost boy, their twin ectoguns aimed at that annoying phantom's head.

Valerie sighed to herself, a day ago that fantasy would have never have been possible and now that Danny was some sort of hero type it really wouldn't come true. She should be used to having her life change for the worse at breakneck speed, from her mom to Daddy's job and of course the ghosts and yet it caught her by surprise every time. But all those hardships only made her stronger in the end. Her moment of self-pity done, Valerie put her chin out and her gloomy thoughts out of her head.

She can't say she really regretted her decision, she had done what she thought was best for herself and Danny at the time and who's to say he would even be interested in hunting ghosts anyway? What's done was done and Valerie would move forward like she always did. Because be it boys or ghost boys, Valerie wasn't one to stay down for too long.

"Valerie!" The familiar voice that had been haunting her thoughts had Valerie gaping as she noticed Danny, sweet, good-hearted Danny, waving to her from the center of a circle of peers. It appeared that people were finally noticing what an amazing guy Danny was but that boy was far too perceptive to let himself be caught up in their false praise. "Sorry I can't make it over to you but there's a bit of road blockage at the moment." Val smiled and was pleased to see Danny return in that adorable lopsided way she adored.

"It's good to see you're still in one piece golden boy." She said with warm eyes jerking a bit in surprise as he seemed to pale in fear.

"Ghost boy?" He said wide-eyed and Valerie rolled her eyes. Some things would never change. She chuckled at his behavior, raising an arm to him in goodbye while also wishing him luck with the fickle pedestrians. With only a little bit of regret, Valerie Grey turned and headed down the hallway to where she'd soon have seventh period World History. Nothing had changed, not really, she still cared for Danny but she also knew that she had a job to do that no one else could do. Life moved on, but that's not to say that Phantom wasn't going to get his butt handed to him the next time she saw him. It was his whole fault she was in this mess to begin with and she'd make sure he felt the full wrath of her broken heart.

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I've been pleasantly surprised at the reception this story has received. Thank you guys so much, your motivation have made me want to go back and look over everything to make sure it's the best it can be. I still haven't decided how long this will end up being. It'll be four chapters for sure but I'm thinking of adding an extra fifth. We'll see how that goes. I feel like Valerie would have an interesting time in this scenario just because the reason she broke up with Danny was to /protect/ him from , where would we be without you? Happy Easter everyone and of course Happy Danniversary. To another 11 years of our favorite ghost boy!


	3. Dash

**It'd be wicked cool to own _Danny Phantom_**

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They were _still_ talking about him. Dash Baxter hiked his backpack strap further up his shoulder as he listened to Kwan, Star and Paulina prattle on about Fenton. And how ridiculous was that? The A-listers, Casper High royalty, were gushing over Danny flipping Fenton and his so called "courage". Dash knew he wasn't the brightest bulb in the shed but he was pretty sure that running into a burning building qualified as _stupid _rather than _courageous_. And yet they just kept talking and talking and talking.

"Would you guys cut it out already," he snapped suddenly cutting off Paulina as she did yet another retelling of the same story. "It's just Fenton! He's a loser! A nobody! Guy was probably running from a ghost or something and got himself caught in a burning building. Would you stop acting like everything has suddenly changed!" He griped as he stormed on a bit ahead well aware of the angry looks the others were giving him.

Dash's already aggravated mood only increased as he stepped into school where he now had to listen to everyone talking about how 'great' and 'cool' Fenton was. This was going to be a long day, he could already tell. And it was, period in and period out it all 'Fenton this' or 'Fenton that' but Dash wasn't sure if he was relieved or annoyed not to see the kid himself. By the time last period rolled around, Dash was about ready to dish some serious pain as he heard yet another girl gush about Fenton's heroism.

He scoffed, Fenton?_ A hero?_ It was nuts. It wasn't as if anyone paid the kid any attention the rest of the time, other than when he was being a complete freak with his loser friends and now they couldn't get enough of him. Dash ground his teeth as he stomped down the halls. His eyes narrowed as he came as he came upon a large crowd surrounding what Dash knew to be Fenton's locker and before he could think any further, he was pushing his way through.

Of course at the center was Fenton, looking embarrassed and mildly put-out by the sudden attention as he tried to talk people away from his locker so he could grab his books. A quick scan told him that no teachers, overprotective friends or sisters were within sight. Perfect.

As soon as Dash made his way to the center the rest of Fenton's newfound groupies suddenly found somewhere else to be. The dweeb didn't even look up as everyone around him suddenly scattered, looking almost relieved that he could now reach his locker seemingly unafraid of the beat-down that was about to happen. And that's perhaps what annoyed the quarterback most of all. Without hesitation he grabbed the smaller boy by the front of his shirt and thrust him into the lockers glaring down at him for all he was worth. Fenton didn't even look concerned.

"Hey Dash, while I appreciate you driving the bloodsuckers away I really need to get to English. Lancer will kill me if I'm late to class and I really don't want another detention." Dash snarled, unbelievable. He eyed the remnants of bandages on the boy's arm and could see another wrapped around his chest as further proof of the impossible. This kid, this small, wimpy brat that Dash picked on daily, had willingly run into a building that was on fire to save some kids. Pause, rewind, when had the world stopped making sense? When did Fenton stop acting like _Fenton_?

"You think you're hot stuff Fenton? You think just because everyone thinks you're some sort of hero that I'll just leave you alone? Well you've got another thing coming." He said shoving the kid harder into the lockers. Fenton gave the barest flinch of pain before turning to scowl at Dash. What was happening? Fenton didn't give him defiant looks, didn't save kids, didn't change Dash's opinions on people.

"Lay off will you? I don't need any more bruises after yesterday or my mom will go nuts." Fenton tilted his head as if studying the larger teen. "And no, I don't. I didn't do anything that anyone else wouldn't do. I'd really wish people would quit bugging me about it and just let it go. Everyone is safe, isn't that all that matters?" Dash's fist slammed hard into the locker beside him, just inches from Fenton's face and the loser didn't so much as blink. "Come on, the bell's gonna ring soon." With a frustrated growl, Dash threw Fenton into the lockers stepping back as the geek landed gracefully on his feet before turning to undo the lock. Dash continued to glare holes into the back of his head.

"I'm not any different than I was yesterday Dash when you threw me into the lockers, or last week when you punched me in the gut after gym. Nothing has changed; I'm the same as I've always been. Maybe it's just you who has missed something." Fenton turned and gave what almost appeared to be an admonishing glare. "Can we do this later; I really wasn't kidding about English." When he didn't reply, Fenton shrugged and stepped around him to walk in the direction of Lancer's room while Dash just watched on in confusion, trying to figure out this latest puzzle.

"Why don't you fight back then?" Dash asked just before Fenton was out of range, he stopped but did not turn to face the boy, the bully, who had abused him the last year or so. "It took serious guts to do what you did yesterday, I don't even know if I'd have done that. You're crazy Fenton, absolutely bonkers for trying something like that." Dash paused to suck in his breath. "So why don't you fight back all those times I wailed on you, gave you a hard time. You carried like five kids out a building that was on fire, I bet you can throw a punch so why don't you?"

The hallway was empty, leaving Dash's question to echo in a way that upset because it reminded him that he'd said it. But it had bothered him all night as his mom and dad sat up half the night watching as the loser kid he regularly beat on save the day. Because he realized that there was more to Fenton than Dash had ever thought, that the geek was maybe more than just a convenient punching bag. That maybe, just maybe, this wimp had more in common with the ghostly hero Dash aspired to be more than he did himself. Fenton shrugged before he started walking again.

"Because there wouldn't be any point in fighting you Dash." And just like that he turned the corner and was gone leaving Dash Baxter, star quarterback, the king of Casper High, in the dust. He stood there even as the bell rung signaling the start of class before he managed to find his footing and head to the main office for a late pass on the excuse that he had a headache which wasn't a complete lie. Dash was… confused now, a bit unsure as to what at happened but he did know one thing.

By the end of the week when this whole thing had blown over and Fenton was back to his loser status, Dash was going to go back to beating him. But things just might be a different from now on. He'll be sure to be careful with the freak until those bandages come off but then he'll hit back twice as hard. That defiance that had lit up the loser's eyes, he's never seen such boldness especially from Fenton. Maybe a little tough love would toughen up the geek, bring out that nerve that had so shocked Dash. And maybe, just maybe, one day Fenton will throw that punch and make things right.

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Hey guys, I know this is kind of late, okay really late. I've had this chapter done for a while now but I didn't want to post it until I had at least started the next chapter so the gap wouldn't be so large. I certainly have one more chapter I want to write which is about 1/3 done now and I'm thinking of doing a final wrap up chapter. I don't know, I'll have to see. Thank you so much for the overwhelming support! I usually try to update quicker but this past year has been exhausting. This is why I usually finish stories before I publish them. Hope this will sate you guys while I finish up the next part!


	4. Lancer

**If I restart _Danny Phantom_ I guess I'd own it then**

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How on Earth were they going to get through English today? Edward Lancer rubbed at his eyes and glanced at the clock almost as relieved as his students to see that the period was just about over. As a teacher in the most haunted school in the most haunted town in the nation, Lancer had seen some strange things but ghosts had nothing on teenagers. Try as he might, getting through Tennyson's _Ulysses_ was absolutely impossible what with everyone hovering over Danny Fenton of all people, not that given the circumstances Edward Lancer really blamed them. After all, it wasn't every day that the quiet boy in the class, the one no one paid attention to lest to mock, the most baffling, confusing student he had ever taught, would end up a veritable hero.

The boy of the hour seemed unduly uncomfortable with all the attention being directed his way which was in itself unusual for a 15 year old. Most teenagers would be soaking up the attention, shamelessly exploiting the fleeting fame while it lasted. Perhaps if Danny were grinning and gloating like Lancer had expected then he too wouldn't be sneaking quick glances at the young man over his poetry book. He tells himself he only does it to check in and make sure the other students aren't goading the boy too much but another part knows he's trying to see the hero burning within the mild-mannered student. Danny had always been a complex individual, but of all the things he had expected, heroism was not one of them. The bell rings not a second too soon signaling not only the end of sophomore English but also the end of the regular school day.

Most of the class was gone within moments of the bell ringing while a few stragglers ended up gravitating towards Mr. Fenton's desk. The boy merely gave them an exasperated glance that looked far too cynical for a young man's face before continuing to pack up his things. Edward slammed his book shut causing the few remaining students to flinch.

"You are dismissed; now I believe Mr. Fenton could do with some breathing room wouldn't you say?" He replied testily watching as the rest of the class departed all except for the aforementioned hero. Once the last of the teens had exited, a terribly wearied expression appeared on Danny's face as he let himself sink down into his chair and quietly exhale. Now Lancer knew the myriad sounds of teenage angst well, could pinpoint whether a young person's moan was sarcastic or frustrated or wistful. But this, this was not the sound of a tired young man but of something much, much deeper. He couldn't even find a way to describe it, the closest he got was the sounds his granddad used to make when talking about his experiences during the war.

"Daniel?" He asked quietly as he took a tentative step towards the boy who merely popped open a eye to glance at him. Though he didn't move, Lancer sensed the boy was putting himself back together, reasserting the illusion the Danny Fenton was uninteresting and unimportant, but for just a brief moment, Mr. Lancer saw just how deep Danny's eyes were and it terrified him. "Danny, are you alright? You seem..." _Disheartened? Melancholic? Weighed down by some insurmountable force?_ "Tired," he finished lamely. A cheeky grin that did little to guise his weariness, now that Edward was actually looking for it, appeared on Danny's face as he reluctantly sat himself upright.

"Yeah, I'm fine Mr. Lancer," he said stretching his arms over his head. "It's just been kind of an exhausting day, I never realized how annoying all this attention was. I don't understand why people want it so bad." Mr. Lancer raised a curious eyebrow, now _that_ was something he thought he'd never hear from a highschooler's mouth.

"Oh?" He asked mildly while Danny continued on as if he hadn't said anything strange.

"I mean aside from the fact that the attention is all fake, coming from people who don't know or care about me and will go back to ignoring me in a week, I just don't get it. Yes, I saved some people from a fire but it's not like I leapt a building in a single bound or anything. I feel like all this attention is undeserved, I mean, I just did what anyone else would do, right?" Danny replied with a shrug and a shy smile as if he didn't just demonstrate wisdom and emotional maturity well beyond his years. As if the hero, that had apparently always been there, hadn't been shining in his eyes. Mr. Lancer smiled warmly and set a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"True Daniel, you may not be some kind of ghostly hero but that does not make your actions yesterday any less heroic." Danny took that moment to fumble and start coughing awkwardly into his fist. Mr. Lancer pulled his hands back with an affectionate eye roll. Somethings, he supposed, would always remain the same and that was probably for the best. Anything to keep that haunted look out of young Daniel's eyes.

"Well now Danny, unless you plan on saving me from grading a pile of essays, I think you are allowed to leave. Most of the students have already left so I don't believe you can worry about being harassed for today." Lancer's warm smile dropped a bit as he thought of that mournful sigh Danny had given not too long before. He continued on in a softer voice. "You know Danny, if people are still giving you a hard time, you can always come talk to me. I know you kids like to think I'm out to get you or something but I want to help Danny. You can talk about anything on your mind and I promise it will stay between the two of us."

Danny, who had been in the process of arranging his things and putting them away in his backpack, looked back up with that same sharp, burdened expression. It was almost accusatory, if Lancer were to be dramatic, as if those normally soft baby blues were telling him that he couldn't handle the things Danny had to say. Of course the moment quickly passed and Lancer wrote it off as a strange, uncomfortable feeling as Danny smiled.

"Yeah, okay, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." With another lethargic stretch, Danny sat up tossing his backpack over one shoulder. "Hopefully this will all die down soon enough, it's been so tough to change with people surrounding me 24/7."

"Change?" Lancer asked incredulously as he walked back to his desk.

Danny chuckled nervously and turned out his pockets as he shuffled towards the now empty hallway. "Sorry, no change on me today. Spent it all at the arcade yesterday." Danny replied in a slightly-too-high voice that was, of course, incredibly suspicious but he'd let it slide for now. _Lord of the Flies_ knows the kid has had enough scrutiny for one day.

"Well then Mr. Hero, have a good rest of your day." Danny smiled, again it wasn't entirely innocent or burden free but it was a genuine smile none the less. He waved one last time as he disappeared outside the classroom.

"Bye Mr. Lancer, see you around." Edward stared at the spot his student had just occupied with suspicious curiosity. Try though he may to deny it was clear there was more to Daniel Fenton than he was letting on. But boys were allowed their secrets and Lancer wouldn't pry unless he felt the boy's life was in danger. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to keep an eye on the young hero.

"Yes Mr. Fenton, I'll be seeing you."

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Ha! I bet after the long wait for the last update you thought I'd take forever, huh? Well in a completely rare occurrence I sat myself down, said I was going to write and it actually happened! It helped I had it mostly planned out ahead of time. I'll do one final sort of wrap-up chapter that I sort of know what I'm going to say. Gosh I just need to find more time! I'll get that out as soon as I can, thanks again for all your support. Glad to know the DP community is still up and running!


	5. The Keepers

**You don't need ghost powers to be a hero but you need to be Butch Hartman to own _Danny Phantom._**

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Vlad Masters' mouth twitched in agitation as he spun his wine glass in his hand. Maddie lay stretched out on his work desk (the cat Maddie not the woman unfortunately) vying for his attention but at the moment he had none to give her. Daniel was getting sloppy over in his little town, putting himself out there too much and drawing the wrong kind of attention. He brought his wine glass up to his lips, but his brow was still furrowed in worry and frustration so the simple act was ultimately futile and he slammed the glass back on the desk causing Maddie to scatter.

He forcefully pushed himself away from the desk, stalking over to his large window glaring in the general direction of Amity Park as if that would put some sense in that young fool's head. The townspeople may be idiots but they had to notice something was different about Danny Fenton. And if he kept up these little acts of heroism, in and out of costume, one day he'd find himself answering questions on an operating table. The thought made his fist clench in fear. Of course he was nervous, if Daniel's secret got out then it wouldn't be long before his own life was in jeopardy. It wasn't as if the thought of that cheeky, reckless boy suffering due to his overinflated sense of humanity caused his heart to skip anxiously.

He made a note to clear some time in his schedule to make his way out to visit his favorite family. He'd glare bullets as Jack between chortles, compliment Madeline and young Jasmine and pull that infuriating boy off to the side and tell him what was at stake. Vlad didn't_ care_ for the boy, that's not how it was at all. He was merely looking after his own interests, his own secrets. He reached back and grabbed at his wine taking a long, drawn gulp. A simple act of selflessness could end up having a whole myriad of consequences for both himself and Daniel. He had to clean up after the boy once again and one day, Daniel would be thanking him.

XxX

Tucker Foley was loving this sudden burst of attention being given to his best friend and was taking advantage in full. He had a large crowd surrounding outside of the school as he once again retold the story of Danny's heroic rescue. He'll admit he was exaggerating a little, okay _a lot_, but the other students were eating it up and who was he to deny them a good time? He himself was fairly unimpressed with Danny's heroics. It's not as if he didn't see his best friend save people every other minute. He guess what makes this time special is that it was Fenton not Phantom doing the rescuing.

Through the crowd he saw Danny and Sam, he was going to wave as he usually did to his best friend but he knew that would alert the crowd to Danny's presence. Instead he winked at them and launched into yet another retelling of the same story allowing the two of them to slip out of the hallway unnoticed. Say what you will about Tucker but he was a pretty good friend, you know, most of the time. He knew neither Danny nor Sam were crazy about this whole fame thing but what they didn't seem to understand is that it would pass. This was Amity Park, weird stuff happened all the time and this would be forgotten before they knew it.

The way he saw it, he was just taking advantage of one of the few moments of fame he'd ever experience in his high school career. Downsides of being a superhero sidekick? Always got to maintain a low profile. But again, if he was out here causing a spectacle and being really obnoxious, then wasn't he drawing attention away from Danny? His shy, too-nice-to-be-real friend was able to avoid the massive surge of people before the weekend and go back to his normal life. By Monday morning, everyone would forget how weird the incident really was. Or they'd maybe remember how much Tucker exaggerated the story out of proportion causing everyone to write off any of the weirder rumors. Yes, he smirked to himself as he excused himself to catch up to his friends, he could be a real good friend when he wanted to be.

XxX

Sam Manson was angry at Danny. This was hardly a new thing but this was a special type of anger she had developed specifically for her best friend. An anger that was hot and wiry but underneath was all fear. Times like these she was absolutely terrified for her blue eyed friend but Sam Manson did not give in to fear so she expressed herself through anger. As she lectured Danny, again, about his idiotic actions the other day she watched him sigh and roll his eyes as nodded and pretended to listen. They'd slipped out of the school, thanks to Tucker's distraction, and were alone for the first time in forever and of course the idiot still wasn't listening to her.

She can't really fault Danny for saving those kids, he was a hero through and through and that's what he did. But she could fault him for charging in wearing the wrong form. Later, after the fire, he'd sheepishly admitted that he didn't even think about going ghost. He just saw the fire and ran knowing that he was there and he could do something. Admirable but totally moronic. He just smiled at her with that adorable dumb grin and told her not to worry. But she had to worry because he wasn't, because he didn't realize how exposed he was now. His powers might still be a secret but his mild-mannered geeky façade was completely blown. Even when this whole thing died down, no one would ever look at Danny Fenton the same way again.

She watched as Danny smiled when Tucker finally caught up him, thanking him for the getaway with a fistbump. She watched her two best friends talk like they always did, as if nothing at all had changed. She didn't want to be the boring one, the wet blanket of the group, but someone had to look out for Danny. If the boys noticed she was a step or two behind them, they didn't comment. Nor did they mention the way she briefly scanned each person they came across on their path. She couldn't really be mad at Danny, he had enough on his plate as it was. So she'd watch out him when he wasn't, try to prevent that big, lovable heart of his from getting him killed. She would do it because he was her best friend and she would do anything to keep him safe.

XxX

Jasmine Fenton had never been more proud in all her life. It was one thing for her to know Danny was a hero, to watch him selflessly give up so much of himself for a town that despised him. It was another to have other people finally acknowledging all the wonderful things she knew about her baby brother. She beamed again to think of Mom and Dad's smiles as they ate Chinese last night, or the way teachers and students had observed Danny with something akin to pride. Finally people were starting to see that Danny really was something special and, to her, it would do him nothing but good.

They were home now after the hustle and bustle of his new celebrity status at school. They were lounging on the couch together in a rare moment of peace, Danny's head just barely leaning into her shoulder. If anyone were to come in right now he would be sitting up and complaining, but for now Jazz was glad he was allowing himself the comfort. He of all people deserved it. Because amid all the fuss, no one but her was thinking of Danny. Not superpowered Phantom or quiet Fenton, but the kind and burdened _Danny_. An act of goodness in his human form would give him a much needed boost of confidence, allow him to act a little more like himself when at home and school and show he didn't need to have powers to be a hero.

She lazily played with his hair smiling just a little bit when he sighed in contentment. She was of course worried about him, as she always was, and she knew that things would always be hard for her baby brother, but this was still a good thing. He needed to be reminded every now and again that he was important, no matter what form he was in, and he was very much loved. He was a teenage boy after all, he wasn't very good at picking up on subtext.

"Hey Danny?" She asked quietly. He merely hummed in response, not quiet alert enough to give an actual response. "You know that I love you right? That I'm always proud of you. You're my little brother and you always will be." Next to her, Danny shifted deeper into her shoulder. He didn't say anything but she didn't think he would. As long as he knew that she, they, were here for him; he would be just fine. She kissed the top of his head. "Sweet dreams hero."

* * *

Gah I'm sorry! I've had this mostly done for a month but somehow I got to Jazz's section and just stopped which is weird because I wrote this whole thing so I could do Jazz's section. This is short and sweet, just analyzing how people in the know would react to Danny's sudden fame. The whole idea of this story wasn't just to give a dose of perspective to characters who don't know about his powers, but also to show what's great about Danny's character, what I believe Jazz would pick up on the easiest. He's always a hero, charging in as Fenton or Phantom, he simply can't stand by and let other be hurt. So while Danny's powers may be hidden depths for some, his goodness is always right at the surface. Thank you guys for your patience and kind words when writing this story. It was truly a enjoyable experience!


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